You're in the Army now
by The Cheese Alchemist
Summary: Ed was just about to leave for the West in order to continue his research, but an unexpected call from the military made his train stop in Central.When Roy Mustang makes Ed a proposition, will he be able to say yes? EdxWin, RoyxRiza and AlxMei.
1. An urgent call from the military

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! Just about a month ago my obsession with FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood rebirthed so I created this fanfic! It's happening exactly after Ed left Reesembool to travel West. So you could say it's a sequel to the series (I'd wish). Since the ending didn't show much, I left it pretty much to my imagination, and I don't think it's exactly what Arakawa thought of, but... Everyone has its own imagination, so enjoy!**

**Of course, review and add constructive criticism, I would love to improve my writing!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"You cheered me up," he said softly. "I'll miss you."

He left her side slowly, breaking the sweet embrace. After lifting his luggage, he stepped into the train and took his seat. Immediately after, he stared out the window to meet her eyes. She was crying, but her tears were those of joy. She knew he would come back soon. Then the train began moving. His eyes widened; he was scared of losing her. For a second he felt the urge to get the hell off this train, but somehow, her image grew more and more blurry and she disappeared. There was no turning back.

So he decided to look at some photos she packed for him: one of the two and his brother more than ten years ago, one of him and her when they were twelve, and a very recent one, taken just a week before his brother's departure.

Suddenly, a loud tune got the passenger's attention.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience, but due to an urgent call from the military, we'll extend the time of our stationing in Central City to thirty minutes. Thank you for your understanding."

"Extending the…? What's this all about?"

He couldn't put his finger on this issue, having no clue what the conductor was talking about. Being quite taken aback by this, he sighed and hoped there was another train to Creta soon.

Central was only a couple hours away, so he restrained himself from dozing off; he knew waking up would be close to impossible for him.

"Rats. At this rate, I won't be able to reach the borderline for two days. Damn those guys, I thought I got rid of them two years ago," he thought.

"Ex-Excuse me?"

A small boy, maybe around 11 was looking at him, with his big eyes filled with admiration for the one in front of him.

"What's up, kid?"

"Excuse me, Sir, but aren't you one of the heroes of Promised Day?"

"Heroes of Promised Day?"

"Y-Yes. You know, the Heroes of Promised Day! There's a huge festival in Central right now and all. Shouldn't you be in Central, Sir?"

He looked at the kid and smirked, "That explains the call,"

An angry mother approached the two and grabbed the boy, "Oliver, dear, don't bother this young man! How many times have I told you that it's not polite to-"

"But Mom, he's one of the Heroes of Promised Day! Mom…He's Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

* * *

As soon as the train reached Central, the conductor kindly asked all the passengers to leave the train and why not, stop and look around since it was, of course, The Heroes of Promised Day's Festival.

"How didn't I see this coming?" Ed asked himself.

He took his wallet and got off the train to see for himself what was happening in Central. Barely had he left the station that he was surrounded by people asking for his autograph, tormenting him with questions about his life after Promised Day, and some fan girls with rather bold requests.

"What's up, Fullmetal? Can't handle the crowd?"

Suddenly, a part of the people suffocating Ed moved about a meter further and started suffocating the newcomer.

"General Mustang, Sir!"

"Look, Audrey, it's the Flame Alchemist!"

Ed pushed his way through the crowd and shook hands with the man, his old comrade and friend, "Hn, long time no see, Mustang,"

* * *

"So are you going to tell me why the fuck did you stop my train, or will I have to get it out of you using force?"

The two men were in Roy's car, heading leisurely to his manor, "You haven't changed one bit, Fullmetal, I'll give you that."

"Shut the crap. Why did you stop my _fucking _train?"

"Easy on the language, kiddo. You know the answer already, it's the festival. It's your festival. You shouldn't be missing it."

"Al is missing it. I don't see him having a problem with that," Ed pouted, "He's in Xing, doing who-knows-what who-knows-where with who-knows-who,"

"You know who," grinned Roy.

"Who?"

Roy burst into laughter and punched Ed jokily, "You're a killer, Fullmetal. I've called Alphonse yesterday and he's on the Xing-Amestris Express that I and the Emperor of Xing built,"

"When did you and Idiot Prince build a train? I haven't seen him a while (not that I miss him or anything…),"

"He's on the Express, as well, so you will be seeing him soon. Accompanied by Lan Fan, and of course a certain Chang princess…"

"Mei is coming too? But that could only mean that… "Ed gasped.

"Yes, Alphonse confessed his feelings for her,"

"What?" Ed looked surprised, "I was just about to say that she missed me."

"You're clueless, kid," Roy sighed.

"You mean that Al and Mei- I mean… I know my brother has swag, but that was … quick."

"Unlike you, Fullmetal. By this rate, you'll probably get together with Winry in 19-never."

"Colonel Bastard…" he muttered angrily.

"It's General now! And quit distracting me, I was trying to talk to you!" he shouted.

"Who's distracting who…?" Ed whispered.

"So as I was saying… It's really important for the people of Amestris to see their heroes today. It's a tradition, Fullmetal, and I'm not going to cancel this celebration just because your traveler's ass won't move itself to Central. I knew you wouldn't be as understanding as Alphonse, so I talked a bit with your train's conductor. He was kind enough to extend the stationing. And that's how you got here."

"Hn. I get it. But I'm not staying forever; I'm getting to Creta next week." Ed stated seriously.

"That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I have a proposition for you. It's a rather interesting one."

Ed gawked at Roy curiously, "This sounds very suspicious."

"You'll have to wait until the festival, of course, like all the people of Amestris. Look, we're here."

Roy stopped in front of something that Ed believed to be the biggest house he'd ever seen. It had two stories, a hectare of gardens, fountains and other beautiful landscape features, a huge front door made out of rich mahogany wood, with intercut details and the perfect windows to match the whole ensemble of the manor. The roof was thatched, gently flowing in with the rest of the architecture.

As Ed followed Roy stunned, the door was opened and a beautiful, blonde haired beauty opened the door with a smile, "Welcome, Edward."

Ed stepped on the front porch and put on his big goofy smile, "Nice to see ya, Major Mustang,"

The woman got angry and punched Ed in the arm, "Ow, what was that for?" Ed whined.

Roy whispered into his ear, "She decided to keep her name."

"Come in, we have tea and some cookies,"

The minute Ed entered the house, he was caught into a dream. The house gave off that whole 1800's atmosphere, and he felt like walking inside stories he once read. The furniture was luxurious, as well as the interior door, floor and walls, painted cream. Riza lead him to the dining room, which was an enormous room, containing a long table, twenty-or-something chairs and expensive paintings all across the walls.

"Man, do you guys have a nice crib. My house is just a little country home," Ed laughed.

"That's what you get for being Fuh-"

"Ri-Ri-Ri-Riza!" Roy put his hand around Riza's mouth.

"Oh, I see, you haven't told him yet," she whispered.

"Nice paintings, is that a Van Go-Eh eh, did you say something, Major?" Ed asked.

"Nothing! Come on, Edward, let's have some cookies."

Edward sat down and took a warm cup of mint tea and some nice cookies. They tasted very good, almost…_too _good. "The Major's cooking used to be awful," Ed thought.

"Major, did you make these?" asked Ed curios.

"You caught me. Glacia and Elicia came by this morning and with some cookies. Elicia just started school, you know…Glacia told her about how her father died recently, and she's quite disturbed right now," she sighed.

"I really miss Hughes," said Ed.

A moment of silence awkwardly appeared between the three. Roy raised his voice to break the quietness, "So I guess you'll be sleeping here tonight, Fullmetal. I've prepared my best guest room just for you. "

"Thanks a lot, General. Can Al stay here too?"

"Of course, of course. Everyone is staying here, since it's big enough for all of us. You, Alphonse, Izumi-san, Sig-san and a certain someone very close to you, Fullmetal. And regarding that matter, should I change your bed to a double one, or not?" smirked the General.

"What?" Ed asked innocently. "I'm not getting that big, am I?"

"No, I was asking you if you would want _another_ person to be in your room. Someone who we'll be arriving tomorrow," grinned the General.

"Hm, I think Al would like his own room, if that's possible," replied Ed with the same innocence he had before.

"My, Edward, you're so clueless," sighed Riza.

Riza got up and took all the dirty dishes to the sink, "I called Winry right after Roy left to get you. She was really surprised, but she sounded so happy… There was another train available and she should be arriving tonight, maybe in an hour or two,"

"Winry is-is coming too?" blushed Ed.

"I said that earlier, Fullmetal…"

"But-but-but!"

He was thinking about just earlier this morning, when he confessed his feelings, in a way or another, to his childhood friend. Ed wasn't prepared to see her so soon. He bit his lower lip, forcing himself not to release a desperate scream.

"Why so flustered, Ed? Did something happen between you two?" asked Riza.

"N-N-N-No! It's just that…Wi-Winry is very busy, and s-she shouldn't be bothered by something s-so trivial, and-"

"It's not trivial, Edward. When she received that phone call, she was… I don't know exactly how to put this. I've never heard her voice sweeter, happy, elated before. She wants to spend as much as she can with you and Alphonse. The poor girl didn't even believe me when I said you'll be coming too. She kept saying, "Ed isn't coming, is he? He left, didn't he? He's… he's not coming back too soon."

Ed froze at the sound of Riza's words, astounded by Winry's reaction. She loved him so much, didn't she?

"You-You're right, Major. I'm sorry. It's a good thing you invited her."

Yet another moment of awkward silence appeared. Ed got up and lifted his suitcase, "General, can you show me to my room? I'd like to take a shower and change my clothes, if that's ok,"

"Oh sure, Ed boy," Roy smiled. "We need to be up early tomorrow to get ready for the festival, but we could have a little night out, just the two of us," he grinned.

"The sound of that is disgusting, General Bastard,"

"Why you-"

"But I will accept, if you insist," Ed smirked.

Roy showed Ed to his room, a large bedroom with a single bed, a wardrobe, two nightstands and a few other decorative items and paintings. It was simple, yet very organized and clean. Just like Ed's room back home, actually.

"I'll give you an hour, Fullmetal. Is that ok with you?"

"Hm? Yeah, sure, that's plenty of time. B-But…what about Winry? Who's gonna pick her up?" Ed asked nervously.

"Don't worry, Riza's on that. You should cut loose every now and then. You're too uptight, damn it."

"Quit your yapping and let me shower, man,"

Roy mumbled something and left the room, leaving Ed alone in his room. He took his shirt off, rubbing his scar where the automail used to connect with his nerves, "It still hurts a bit," he chuckled. He started removing all of his clothes, found the bathroom door and entered the shower. While hot drops of water dripped on his sculpted body, thoughts of Winry ran through his mind with the speed of light. He finally confessed to her. After years and years of loving her, he said it. And knowing she loved him too was the best feeling in the world. But still, the thought of seeing her so soon made him edgy. What if he didn't know what to say? What if he told her something weird and she'd get scared? What if…?

He stepped out of the shower and took a towel, slowly wiping all the water off his body. He tied his towel around his waist and left the bathroom. Ed opened his suitcase and took a plain cream shirt and some brown pants. After he dressed up and brushed his hair, tying it up in a ponytail, he went down to see the General, Riza and… Winry?

"Winry…" he whispered out of breath.

"Ed!" she rushed and gave him a hug, "Hi."

He caressed her head and pushed it closer to his chest, "Hello,"

The two stared at each other, sharing a very intimate moment in a not-so-intimate setting, and both of them turned red. Ed broke the silence, "S-so, how was your journey?"

"Oh, just fine. You can't imagine how many people from Reesembool are coming here for this festival. I barely got my hands on a ticket," She smiled.

"Is that so? I'm glad," he smiled.

Roy coughed, "Fullmetal."

"Oh, that's right. Winry, I'm going out with General Hot-Shot. See you later, okay?"

Winry took his hand and squeezed it gently, "Ok. Be careful."

Roy and Ed headed to the door and put on their coats, "I'll be," Ed said.

* * *

After the six-or so drinks, both Ed and Roy were as drunk as possible. The two were sitting in a shady bar, drenched in the stench of booze, with dim lights and a large pool table in the middle of the room. They were sitting by the bar, ordering yet another glass of scotch.

"You have a fine taste in liquor, my man," Roy barely articulated.

"Are ya making fun of me, you mother effing wannabe Fuhrer?" growled Ed.

"I am not a wannabe, Sir, I am a dreamer. And my dream came true, I would most accurately say,"

"Whatcha saying? Ya a bit drunk, General Pyromaniac. I dunno how le Major even married ya fat ass. Beats me," Ed hiccupped and almost spilled his whisky on the floor.

"Why, she fell for my manners and great looks, poor bastard. I don't know how _Winry_ fell for you, though. The lady must be delusional, poor unfortunate soul."

"Whadaya mean, how? I'm the smexiest, bastard. And she luuves the sexy," Ed yakked.

"And on that topic, my fellow, have you two had any type of romantic intercourse?" Roy smirked.

"Why-Ya drunken son-of-a-whatcha –call-it, that iz not ya fucking bees-wax!" Ed shouted, making the bartender almost throwing him out.

"My opinion is, and I am just addressing my way of thinking, you ought to advance in your relationship, if you, fellow, know what I am verbalizing," Roy addressed him in his drunken Sir-like manner.

"Hmph, not ya damn problem," Ed said while gulping down another glass of the fine whisky.

* * *

"Thank you a lot for letting us stay here, Miss Riza," Winry smiled.

"Call me Riza, Winry. Of course, you'll welcome any time soon here. It's just me and silly Roy here most of the time, but not for long," Riza smiled and rubbed her belly.

Winry's eyes widened, "Are you-Are you pregnant?"

"Yes. Just found out this morning. Don't tell Roy yet. He'll be quite shocked," she giggled.

"That-That's amazing! You're having a baby! That's … amazing," Winry looked up excited.

"Do you want kids, Winry?" Riza asked, and Winry blushed.

"Y-Yes. But not right now, I'm just eighteen, you know?" she giggled. "Plus, me and Ed… we haven't even kissed."

"Haha! That's just like him. He's not rushing things, afraid of what you'll think. He's protecting your innocence, merely,"

"But I don't want him to do that!" Winry said and blushed even harder. "I mean… I don't… I…"

"I get it," Riza laughed. "He's just shy, honey. But sooner or later he'll grow some courage. Edward's new to all of this."

Winry sighed, "You're right, Mi-Riza."

"So, how many kids do you want?"

"Well, I'd like to have a boy and a girl. The boy will look just like Ed, with those gorgeous golden eyes and hair, and that big silly grin that I love. The girl will look like me, only cuter."

"That's beautiful. I hope I have a boy as-"

Riza got interrupted by the slamming door and the shouting.

"Ya effing General, made me pay for the cab and all…"

"Excuse my lack of money, rich man, but I paid for all the liquor you gluttonously consumed,"

"Ya did whaaa?"

Riza sighed and growled, "Not again."

"What happened?" Winry asked confused.

Riza and Winry got to the hallway to see the two men drunk and smelling like they had a liquor bath. Roy looked as tidy as ever, even though he could barely walk, he kept his whole sir-act.

"Let's get you to bed, General," said Riza and put a hand over his shoulder.

"Why Lady, thank you for the kindness. I shall repay you with unlimited hours of love-making," he smirked.

"You wish," Riza chuckled. "Winry, I'm leaving Ed to you."

"Whaaat?" Winry asked scared, but before she could say more, Riza was already getting upstairs with drunken Roy.

Winry turned her look at Ed. She didn't know how to deal with drunken people. Ed didn't drink; or at least not in front of her.

"How you doin'?" Ed asked cocky.

Winry twitched, pretty angry at him, even though he looked so unbelievably desirable like that. His shirt was unbuttoned to the point where you could see half of his chest, packed with muscles and that tough but oh-so-sexy scar he had on his right shoulder. His hair fell from his ponytail, softly brushing his shoulders, falling down to the half of his back.

"Come Ed, let's go to sleep," she said and grabbed him.

"Tryin' to get into ma bed, aren't ya? Well, if that's what _ya_ want…"

"Stop joking, drunken Ed,"

She sustained his weight on her shoulder, barely walking because of his heaviness, "You should know better, Ed. You don't drink, course you're getting drunk over a few beers,"

"I had more than beer," he hiccupped.

Winry sighed as she opened his door and placed him on his bed, "Get some sleep, Ed. See you in the morning," she said as she was leaving, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her in. She fell helplessly on his chest as he stared into his eyes, the goofy grin disappeared from his face and turned into a serious look.

His eyes shined, reflecting the moonlight, and when the blue of the moon and his gold mixed it created some kind of dark green that made Winry's heart skip a beat. "His face is so damn perfect, no freaking flaw. And that hair… even a girl would be jealous," she sighed.

He kept gazing into her eyes and he lifted his right hand and brushed it on her cheek, making her blush from his soft touch.

"I love you, Winry,"

He slowly pressed his lips onto hers, and she couldn't resist the temptation to kiss back even harder. The taste of expensive liquor entered Winry's mouth as she greedily tasted Ed. She pulled away from the kiss and got off him, heading to the door.

"Sober up, Ed,"

She closed the door flushed, gently brushing her fingers over her lips. She shouldn't have taken advantage of him like that, knowing he was drunk. But it felt so good…

* * *

**Thew... that wasn't hard at all to write! I don't know if I should've made the two kiss, but the situation called for it! Anyways, the next chapter will reveal a lot of things, so make sure you read it if you like the story or you're at least curious of what will happen to our little Alchemist (ED: Who are you calling so-small-he-needs-a-stairway-to-kiss-Winry?").**


	2. Colonel Edward Elric

**A/N: Here is the second chapter! Hope you like it. A twist in our story, a new beginning and yet more romantic moments between Ed and Winry! 3**

**Thanks for all the support and reviews until now, and keep 'em coming! **

**So... I'm going to shut up now and let you enjoy the chapter. ^_^**

* * *

Ed woke up that morning with a terrible headache and no memories of last night. He looked at his body and noticed he was still wearing the clothes from last night, even though they had such a sloppy look right now. He didn't remember anything from the previous night besides going out for drinks with the General. "Going out…for drinks…" Ed sighed, "I got drunk, didn't I?"

He got up to change his clothes; he should pick up something a little bit more formal. It was an important day after all, wasn't it? As he took off his shirt, the door to his room was opened and a pair of aquamarine eyes stared at him.

"Ed?" she asked shyly.

"Winry," he smiled, "Come in, I need some help picking up something fancy for the festival,"

She came in hesitantly, remembering last night. She approached him, shirtless and all, "You reek, Ed," she grunted.

"Oh, sorry about that. I should take a shower before, shouldn't I?" he ruffled his hair clumsily.

"Yeah," she giggled.

"Oh, by the way, Winry…" he paused and grabbed her arm.

She jumped a bit surprised by his warm touch, afraid of what he will ask next, and even more nervous about her future answer.

"What happened last night?" he asked seriously.

Winry kept staring at him surprised, but ended up answering jokily, "What do you mean "what happened last night?", silly?" she laughed, "You went out with General Mustang and had a bit too much to drink, that's all,"

"Really? 'Cause I remember you leaving my room last night," he thought profoundly.

"W-Well…I helped you get to bed. You were smashed, Ed," she stuttered, trying to keep back as much as she could.

"And…that was all?" he asked, his serious face not budging.

"Yes! Stop asking questions and get in the shower Ed! We need to be in the town center in an hour!"

"Fine, fine… "he mumbled, grabbed a pair of clean boxers and entered the bathroom.

She sat on the bed, thinking about last night and how she kissed him willingly, knowing he wasn't very conscious of his actions. She couldn't tell him, not just yet. He would get all embarrassed and avoid her.

Ed took a short shower and got out of the bathroom wearing only his boxers, which made Winry blush. She was trying to focus at anything else besides water dripping on his body. _Naked_ body. She stared at his automail leg, trying to see if there's anything wrong with it.

"What wrong, Winry?" Ed asked, noticing her stare.

"Oh, n-nothing, just checking your leg. See, that screw is a bit loose. Let me get my wrench,"

"Hm, sure," he smiled. "But then no more fooling around, you need to help me choose clothes. And you should get ready as well,"

She quickly grabbed her tool box and examined Ed's leg. It was in good condition, and that was quite weird for Ed, since he always did something to damage her precious automail. Oh well… She continued to tighten the screw until it was perfect.

"Your leg is in top notch condition, Ed," Winry stated.

"Yeah," he blushed, "I've been following your instructions carefully. Wax regularly, wipe well after showers, try not to get myself killed,"

She laughed, "You better don't die on me, Elric. If you die, I'll kill you."

"Roger that," he chuckled.

After Winry was done with the tweaking, he got up and opened his luggage, "Now Miss Rockbell, please help me choose my attire,"

"Why how formal of you," Winry giggled, "Let's see now,"

She was browsing through his shirts, pants and other clothes. "His clothes smell so nice," she thought while grabbing a white button-up shirt and some black pants.

"Do you have a blazer, Ed?"

Ed looked for a blazer or jacket or anything like that in his suitcase and took out a delicate black blazer with a slightly lighter silk collar and beautiful buttons on the sleeves.

"That's really nice, Ed," Winry gasped, "Where…why did you buy this?"

He blushed, "I-I bought it in Central. Al said…Women like men in suits," he turned red to a point it looked like his natural color and avoided Winry's look.

"That's so sweet, Ed," she grabbed his hand and put her fingers between his.

Ed looked away, "Yeah, well, you know Al; he's the ladies' man,"

Winry laughed and let go of his hand, gently brushing his clothes, "Haha, you're quite right, aren't you? Well then, I helped you choose your clothes, now I'll go get changed as well. Wait for me downstairs, ok?"

Ed nodded, "Sure. Thanks, Winry,"

"Anytime, Ed."

Winry got to her room and opened her turquoise luggage. She packed a lot of dresses, but she wasn't quite sure of what to wear. It was a special occasion, after all. She hesitated to choose between a princess long lilac dress with quite the cleavage and a mid-length sky blue one with ruffles, so she took the dresses with her and knocked on Riza's door.

"Riza?" she whispered, afraid not to wake her or Roy up.

Riza opened the door carefully, dressed in a gorgeous floor-length pale yellow dress, with golden details. The outstanding bare-shoulder dress hugged her figure, getting larger as it went down. She wore simple gold jewelry and her hair up in an elegant bun.

"Oh my god," Winry gasped, "You look beautiful,"

"Thank you, Winry," Riza smiled.

"Has General Mustang already left?"

"Yes, he's helping with the preparations," Riza said, "And I see you have two beautiful dresses as well. Having a hard time choosing one?"

"Yeah, actually," Winry laughed, "I'm not used to these kind of things,"

"I wasn't either, but when I married Roy I started gradually learning… these _girly_ things," she smiled, "Now let's see…I think you should choose the lilac one, because of its cut, even though sky blue is more of your color"

"You're right," Winry said as she was undressing her night gown and putting on the lilac dress. She looked in the mirror and gasped. She had never looked so beautiful and girly in her entire life. The dress made her look just like one of those girls in Central, pretty and carefree.

"Wow," Winry whispered.

"You're stunning, Winry. This is just the dress for you. Where did you get it from?" Riza asked casually.

"Al sent it from Xing last week. He always makes me such beautiful gifts,"

"Better not make Edward jealous," Riza stated, "He is the type, after all. What do you want to do with your hair? A bun or loose curls?"

"Loose curls, though I don't know how to do that…" she sighed.

"Well that's simple. You just need some curl-paper and a blow-dryer. I have some in my wardrobe."

"Thank you, Riza," Winry said.

"And makeup?"

"Makeup? I've never worn makeup. Is it hard to put on?" Winry asked embarrassed.

Riza giggled, "No worries, I'll do your makeup. It should make your features stand out a bit; we're not going to overdo it, of course. You're already beautiful."

Riza washed her hair and then rolled it into curling paper, slowly blow drying her hair in order to make the curls last longer. After they had almost dried up, Riza brought her makeup bag and started working on Winry's makeup. She just highlighted her key features using a shimmery powder and added some color to her cheeks.

"What lipstick would you like, pink or red?"

"I think pink looks better…right?" Winry asked confused by all this.

"Sure, you're right,"

Riza was wearing a red lipstick, but since pink complemented Winry better and went with the dress, she gently applied the color to Winry's lips. After 10 minutes she removed the curling paper and let Winry's loose curls fall on her shoulders. They looked so pretty and neat, just as if she went to a hair salon. There wasn't any salon in Reesembool, though some of the girls were skilled with hairdressing.

"It looks gorgeous, Riza," Winry gasped. "I can't believe this is me!"

She kept staring at herself in the mirror and turning around, "Do you have any high heels?" Riza asked.

"N-No. I only have a pair of beige flats," Winry said.

"That won't do, you need some high heels, even though it's morning. We need to look formal," Riza searched for some shoes in her wardrobe. She found some purple high heels in the back, gorgeously decorated with small rhinestones.

"How much do you wear, Winry?"

"Umm, 38,"

"I'm the same size," said Riza. "Try these on."

Winry put the shoes on and tried to make a few steps. It was damn hard to walk in these, damn it. But she needed to look good. If not for herself, at least for Ed. After she had done all she could to make her as beautiful as possible, she looked at the time.

"Shoot, I'm late," Winry rushed to the door.

"Calm down, honey," Riza put her hand on Winry's shoulder, "Roy said the festivity doesn't start until 10 o'clock. It's 9:30,"

"Yes, but I promised Ed I'll be downstairs fifteen minutes ago," she said impatient.

* * *

Ed was waiting for Winry downstairs, quite annoyed by her tardiness. He wasn't the patient type, so every minute he spent waiting for her made him even more nervous and fidgety. He looked at the clock, "Damn, she's 15 minutes late. I'm going up there to see if she's ok," he said, but as he was heading to the stairwell, a small, delicate foot descended from the top of the stairs.

When Ed saw Winry he didn't believe he was in Central anymore. He felt like he was in Heaven, and the beautiful woman descending, wearing the pastel lilac gown and purple shoes was an angel. Her porcelain skin looked so radiant under the morning light, her eyes so big and bright, and her cheeks so sculpted and flushed. Her lips were so pink and innocent, just as if she had just come out from the cold. Her gentle waves flowed on her white skinny shoulders, so shiny and soft.

Winry looked up to see Edward staring in pure admiration, "Ed?"

Ed couldn't answer. He was too mesmerized by the being in front of him.

"Edward?" Riza giggled, "Oh my, I think he just fell in love again with you, Winry,"

He woke up at the word "love" and looked at the Major flustered, "S-Sorry! Winry…you're…you're so beautiful," Ed barely whispered.

Winry blushed as she looked away from his enchanted eyes, "T-Thank you, Ed. You're not looking too shabby yourself," she added.

Ed got closer to her and handed her his arm, "May I?"

His sudden change of attitude surprised Winry, but she took his arm and pulled it closer to hers, "Of course."

Ed opened the front door and invited the two ladies to step out of the house, "Well then, shall we go?"

The two women nodded and headed to the car parked in front of the house that Ed was going to drive to the town center.

* * *

Literally everyone in Central was there. Everyone. Not to add other people from all around Amestris and surrounding countries. Even the Ishvalans came, with Scar by their side, eagerly awaiting to see the Heroes of Promised Day.

Al, Mei, Ling, Lan Fan, Izumi and Sig had arrived just in time for the celebration, warmly greeting everyone. All of the Heroes were inside a huge tent placed on a platform in the middle of the center, built in order for all the people to see well. They still had 5 minutes until the orchestra began playing, so they spent these few moments catching up.

"Mei, you've grown so tall since I had last seen you!" Winry pointed out, "You used to be so short, now you're even taller than me!"

"I'm _sixteen_, you know. It was about time I stopped being a shrimp. You know what's it like, don't you Ed?" she grinned.

"Wh-What? How dare you, bean-girl?" Ed shouted angrily.

Al looked at Winry and gasped, "Wow Winry, you look beautiful! I see you're wearing that dress I sent you. I'm happy to see it fits, I thought it was a bit small for you _up there_," he smirked.

"Oh, thanks A-What do you mean by _up there_?" she got angry, desperately searching for a wrench.

"Yeah Al, what _did_ you mean by that? And why would you send Winry a dress?" he asked, obvious signs of jealousy imprinted on his face.

"Well Ed, you would know _all_ about what's up there," Al smirked. "And why do you mind me buying this for Winry? _Jealous_?"

Ed blushed heavily, "N-No! I just… I mean… I thought you went to Xing for _research_, not to buy pretty dresses!"

"You really are looking fine today, Winry," Ling made his way to her side, "You know, the Queen of Xing position is still vacant,"

"You too, Idiot Prince?" Ed shouted angrily, losing control of his feelings, "What day is today? Hit on Winry day?"

"Don't worry, Edward, you'll get your turn," Riza giggled and made Ed even more embarrassed than he was before.

"Ok, that's enough, stop picking on Brother," Al grabbed his shoulders and ruffled his hair, and even though he was the younger brother, he still a couple of inches taller than Ed.

"You started it, prick," grunted Ed.

Roy stuck his head into the tent and said, "Thirty seconds, people,"

Everyone nodded and started checking themselves out. Everything seemed in place. When they heard the orchestra playing, they knew it was their queue to take the stage.

"Ladies and gentleman…," yelled Fuhrer Grumman, "…may I present…," he paused for a dramatic drum roll, "…the Heroes of Promised Day!"

They all entered in order, Ed and Winry, followed by Al and Mei, Roy and Riza, Ling and Lan Fan, and also Izumi and Sig. They were welcomed by a loud round of applause as the Fuhrer began introducing them to the public.

"First we have the youngest alchemist to receive his State qualification, child-prodigy of outstanding strength, the one and only… Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, accompanied by his automail mechanic, the woman that made him walk and perform alchemy, Winry Rockbell!"

Ed and Winry greeted the public and bowed down in respect, "Brother of the Fullmetal Alchemist, a boy whose heart is made of gold, whose kindness is unique all over the world. With incredible alchemic talent and fighting skills, I give you Alphonse Elric, along with Mei Chang, princess of Xing and Heroine of Promised Day!"

Al bowed down his head and Mei did a fancy courtesy to impress the people, "Tamer of fire, hero of Ishval and outstanding political genius, Roy Mustang! By his side, a woman with the eyes of a hawk, the agility of a panther and the speed of a cheetah, Riza Hawkeye-Mustang!"

Riza was quite annoyed by the addition of Roy's last name to hers, especially since she insisted in keeping her last name. But, oh well…

"And last but not least… the master who taught the Elric brothers, the woman who sacrificed her live for her unborn child, an alchemist single to this world, Izumi Curtis, and her husband Sig!"

The two entered humbly and looked kindly at the public. When all the Heroes have been introduced, they took their place behind Grumman's back and listened to the rest of his speech.

"I am so happy to see them all here today. For such an old dog as myself, this is one of the few joys that tear me up," he said while wiping a tear from the corner of his right eye, "This people saved our country two years ago, and without them, we would've been ten feet under the ground right now. So love them, protect them, and be thankful to them. We owe them our lives,"

Everyone in the public agreed and cheered, "And with these being said, I declare the Heroes of Promised Day Festival open!"

A mass of happy cheers ascended from the crowd, applauding the Fuhrer and everyone on stage. They were are heading to the festival booths when the Fuhrer whistled and caught their attention.

"Why so rushed? I'm not done," he laughed. "I still have some announces to make, jeez. No one pays attention to old people these days."

Everyone, including the Heroes listened carefully to the Fuhrer, "I am old, you know. I just turned 80 this year. Not that I'm beaten up or anything, but the responsibilities and over-time work and travelling are starting to get to me. I think it's high time I should retire."

People were giving one another questioning looks, almost scared, some of them even sad to be losing their ruler, "Don't fret, my people. I am leaving you in more than capable hands. I think this youngster will make an even better job than I did. After all, what he did with Ishval's restoration was outstanding in my opinion,"

Somewhere in the crowd, the Ishvalans cheered and Scar nodded his head, "So Amestris, I present you your new Fuhrer, the Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang!"

Roy was welcomed to the microphone by a sea of cheers and whistles, everyone happy and excited for their new leader, a man trusted by his people and loved by every one of them.

"Thank you, everyone. I know I can't compare with Fuhrer Grumman over here, but I'll surely do my best. I want to tell you some of my projects that I have already implemented, and some that are yet to be initiated,"

Ed listened carefully from his spot, still touched by the news, "The first is an Amestris-Xing alliance. A lot of countries threaten our lands, so me and Emperor Ling Yao of Xing decided that we should unite our forces and fight against any opponent that dares to mess with us,"

Ling stepped forward and borrowed the mike, "Also, we will not be united only in times of war. When one country needs something, the other one would gladly supply it. Say, for example: Amestris is known for its potato cultivation. Xing lacks potatoes, but we do have a lot of rice," he laughed, "So what about we trade these goods? This way, we will both enjoy a multitude of goods that were so rare and unachievable before!"

The mob nodded and shouted out "Yeah!" and "Good thinking!" while Ling and Roy gave each other approving looks, "Some of our army will be transferred to Xing, in order to have better connections and communication with the country. And some of the Xing's army will be here too, right in Central. And the man who will be in charge of this station in Xing will be none other than… Lieutenant Alphonse Elric!"

Al bowed down again, and Ed shot him an angry look, whispering, "Did you know about this?"

"Of course, I have already agreed on it,"

"And why I am finding out now?"

Riza shushed the two, "The second will be creating military units all over the country to assure safety and order in districts. I have placed some of my trustworthy men all around the country. Lieutenant Colonel Breda in East City, Lieutenant Colonel Falman in North City, General Armstrong in Briggs, Major Izumi Curtis in Dublith, Colonel Henry Douglas in Liore, and Colonel Louis Armstrong in West City."

"You forgot Central, Fuhrer Mustang," Ling smirked.

"Oh, did I?" Roy faked surprise," Thank you, Emperor Yao. Well then, we need a military unit in Central as well, so ladies and gentleman, I present to you your new defender… the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric! Or should I say, Colonel Edward Elric!"

Everyone applauded, expect for some who were whispering around "Colonel at eighteen years of age?" or "Going up two ranks just like that?"

Ed stared at Roy, almost bursting with anger, shaking nervously from the news. Seeing that, Winry grabbed his hand, but he violently shook her off him, leaving her feeling offended. After everyone headed to the booths to buy drinks and food and enjoy stories about Promised Day and the life of the heroes, the main characters of the day entered the tent again.

The minute they entered, Ed punched Roy in the face, knocking him off his feet and to the ground.

"Why did you do this, bastard? You didn't even asked me!"

Roy barely got up and answered, "I thought you would be honored."

"Honored? _Honored_? Why the fuck would you think I would be _honored_? I'm going to _Creta_ next week, remember? I have no time for fooling around,"

"Why are you going to Creta, huh?" Roy shouted, "You can't perform alchemy anymore, Fullmetal, and the sooner you accept it, the better. There's nothing left for you to do with alchemy anymore!"

"You bastard!" Ed rushed and grabbed Roy by his collar.

"Edward!" Riza shouted.

"Brother!"

"How can you say that? I want to… I need to know more. I need to know how we could've saved Nina. I need to find all the blank spots I have regarding alchemy. Even if I have to start all over again, I want to know!"

"There's nothing left for you to do with alchemy, Brother," Al put his hand on Ed's shoulder and talked slowly to him, "Me and the Fuhrer talked, and… we think it's best for you to stay in Amestris. You should give up alchemy. You can't do any more good with it."

"B-But! You can't decide what I do, Al! You shouldn't… I'm the older brother!" he shouted quite childishly.

"Still using that excuse, eh?" laughed Al.

"Stop making fun-"

"There's nothing left for you to do in this world with alchemy, Edward, but you intelligence is so brilliant," Ling spoke, "Your plans and ideas would help this country more than you could ever imagine. You can actually help these people, instead of trying to chase the past."

Ed woke up from his delusional dream and realized that everyone was right. He wasn't an alchemist anymore. Even if he found out more about alchemy, how would he be able to understand it? He gave up his Gate. It was all lost now. All he could do is…let go of the past and move towards the future. Could he do that?

"But-I can't defend anyone. I-I can't perform alchemy anymore," Ed said devastated.

"You can't, but your brilliance is still in there. And your physical strength and training isn't something to ignore, either," Riza added, "You would do a fine leader someday, Edward Elric."

He looked at everyone in the tent and his eyes fell on his teacher, "Teacher?"

"Edward, if even I joined the army, I think you should get a mind and say yes already. If not, I'll make sure your death is slow and painful,"

He chuckled, "What do you think, Winry?"

He turned over to the woman he loved, "Should I do this or not?"

She stared at him surprised by his question, amazed by the fact that out of all these people, he asked her. Not his brother, not his fight-buddies, as she liked to call them, her. She hesitated to give an answer, under the pressure of deciding Edward Elric's life.

"What do you mean _what do I think_?" she shouted, "You're such a jerk, Edward Elric! How could you ask _me_ this?"

She threw herself into his arms and started punching his chest. He looked startled at her, as she burst into tears, "Make you stay or send you a thousand miles away from me? What did you think I would say? God, Ed, you're so clueless sometimes! Of _course_ my answer would be one-sided!"

"What-What are you saying, dummy?" he asked, grabbing her tiny, ineffectual fists.

"I'm saying, of course I want you to stay, _dummy_! I love you!"

Everyone in the tent looked at the two in silence, as Ed stood in front of Winry amazed by her sincerity and straight-forwardness. Of course, he knew she loved him, but she had never put it this way. So simple and … to the point.

At that point, he knew. His decision didn't only affect himself. It affected all the people around him. All of his loved ones, the ones close to him… What was he thinking, believing he could be able to stay away from Winry for such a long time? It was different now. He needed… no, he _wanted_ to stay.

"You want me to stay?" he stated seriously and let go of her hands. He grabbed her face into his palms and gently brushed his lips over hers, caressing her soft lips with his and rubbing his nose on her small, cute one, "Then I'll stay. I love you, Winry, and I will do anything to make you happy,"

The two shared a moment, yet again surrounded by people "Awww"-ing and staring and, well, enjoying the mood. When Ed realized the allusive smirks, he slightly distanced himself from Winry and cleared his voice, "Well then, I think I'll be seeing Creta sometime in the future," After that sentence, everyone smiled and congratulated Ed for his "promotion".

"I knew you would say yes sooner or later, Fullmetal," Roy grinned, "I even had more things to tempt you with if you needed further persuading,"

Ed chuckled, "You know you'll have to provide me with an apartment and a car, don't you?" he grinned evilly.

"I was expecting that, Fullmetal," Roy snarled, "I got you an apartment close to the unit on the second floor. It's a fully furnished three-room apartment with a kitchen and bathrooms and all. You should love it, it's simple and boring; just your style,"

"Hey!"

"And the car is in front of the apartment. A simple model, just like my old one. Well, it is exactly my old one," he laughed.

"Second-hand car for a Colonel?" Ed asked, and sighed, "Oh well, I didn't have high expectations from you, seeing as you're stingy and all,"

Roy flipped, "What are you saying, ungrateful little-"

Riza grabbed his hand, "Calm down, Fuhrer. If we're rude to the little guy he can run away anytime he pleases, and he is kind of important."

"Who are you calling so-puny-he-could-be-mistaken-as-a-grain-of-rice? I'm taller than your Fuhrer Poo-head!" Ed ranted about his height, once again.

"Leaving out your immaturity, Fullmetal, you should get settled in your apartment soon enough. Work begins Monday morning," Roy said.

"Only three days from now?" Ed sighed and put his hands on his neck, massaging it, "Well, I guess that's life,"

"Don't worry, your salary will be high enough to make you come to work every morning," Riza smirked, "We took care of that."

"Well then, I should go and check my place out," Ed said.

"So you're saying yes? No regrets, no back-outs? A definite answer, yes?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, I've already told you! You make a good point, Fuhrer. Now hand me the keys before I change my mind," he added.

"Here you go," Riza handed him a piece of paper and a heavy key, "The address and key."

Ed was heading to go out when he stopped and looked at Winry, "Well, are you coming?"

She quickly nodded and joined him, grabbing his hand as they walked through the crowd. After they got off the stage they walked on the main street of Central, where hundreds of booths with clothes, food and books related to the Promised Day and its Heroes were sold and traded. While the two were passing, everyone gossiped about them.

"They look so perfect together, don't they?"

"When will there be a wedding?"

"Their kids will be gorgeous."

Ed tried to ignore the talking as he blushed while holding Winry's hand and trying to find the apartment. He opened the piece of paper and read _"17, Main Street, 2__nd__ floor, apartment 12."_ He looked around and saw a very nice building with the number 17 on it. In front there was Roy's old car, just as Ed remembered it. It was a bit old, but trust-worthy and good nonetheless.

"This is it,"

He opened the front door and went up the stairs with Winry. The interior of the building looked very clean and tidy; the hallway looked a lot like Hughes' place. When he got to the 2nd floor, Ed put the key in the lock and opened the door to apartment 12.

He entered the apartment and looked around. IT was just as described; simple and tidy, but a bit big for only one person.

The kitchen looked very nice, even though he knew he wouldn't use it a lot; he's not the best cook (meaning he burns even water). It had simple wooden counters and top counters, a fridge and stove and other stuff like tableware and cutlery. There was also a small table with four chairs and some flowers on the window sill.

As he advanced through the house, he reached the living room, which was a large, bright room, filled with books and other means of entertainment. It had a huge brown leather couch and two armchairs, two bookcases, a television and even a small pool table.

The place had two bedrooms, each of them pretty similar to the other. A large double bed in the middle of the room with a nightstand by each side of the bed, a wardrobe, a chair and even a small couch to sit on. Every one of the bedrooms had a personal bathroom.

"What do you think?" Ed asked Winry.

"I-I like it a lot," she said.

"Hm, me too. That so-called-Fuhrer outdid himself," Ed smiled, "I only needed a room and a bathroom, you know,"

Winry shook her head, "That's no way of living, Ed,"

He laughed and squeezed her hand, "Somehow I knew you would say that," he said and held her closely to his body, hugging her romantically.

"Winry?" he said.

"Yeah?" she answered buried in his chest.

"I know you kissed me last night,"

* * *

**A/N: Kyaa, he remembered! I would be so embarassed if I was Winry (.). Anyway, I like the way this chapter turned out, and I'll start working on chapter 3 soon enough! I wish you all a good weekend and all things well until we next speak. **

** T.G.I.F.!**

** Susie-chan **


	3. First Day

**A/N : Le third chapter for you, my dearies! I did the cliffhanger thing, but hey, what's good comes in last (at least I think ...)**

**I am so obsessed with Hunger Games xD I've just finished reading the 1st book and I adore adore adore it! You will see in this chapter a sign of my love to HG!**

**Well then, happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor! (that doesn't sound right... bakka... T_T)**

* * *

The next few days went on peacefully, Ed still crashing at Roy's place just to be together with his dear ones for a bit. Alphonse, Mei, Ling and Lan Fan left Sunday morning, seeing as Al had to be at work at 8 AM that Monday. Izumi and Sig left a while after as well, and the only ones left were Ed and Winry.

It was a quiet Sunday evening, and the four of them (Ed, Winry, Roy and Riza) decided to go out for dinner to a more gourmet restaurant in Central. Of course, with Roy being the Fuhrer, they got a table in Central's finest and busiest restaurant without having to wait.

Chez Pierre was a small, elegant bistro with very exquisite southern cooking. The décor was very pretty and luxurious (small wrought-iron benches, red roses climbing the walls, round tables and cute little chairs) and the food was as posh as the place. Beef escalope with curry sauce, frog legs and crème Brule were the main specialties.

When the waiter came by, they each ordered something expensive and delicious. Ed ordered a beef steak and a cheese platter for desert, Winry ordered some onion soup and crème Brule and Roy along with Riza ordered the same meals, spinach quiche and foie gras.

"Good choice, Fuhrer," Ed grinned as he elegantly held his glass of wine in his right hand, "I should start buying more suits if we're going to eat like this every evening,"

"Don't delude yourself, Fullmetal. You won't be home every evening so you could dine like this. But weekends are a good time for dining too,"

Ed sighed, "You're going to kill me with overtime, aren't you?"

"Will I, will I not?" he said, playing with his fork, "That depends on your performance and only on your performance, Colonel,"

Riza grunted, "I can't believe it! He is actually 2 ranks higher than me! And he's a kid!"

"I beg to differ, Miss Hawkeye," Ed shook his head, "I am eighteen of age, and I am an adult. So says the law."

"You have a lot of work to do tomorrow, Fullmetal, so get a good night's sleep," Roy took a sip from his wine.

"Really? And what does "work" involve, I may ask?"

"Tomorrow you'll be in charge of deciding who'll make State Alchemist or not. I think it won't be hard; I also gave your assistant a couple of criteria sheets for the candidates so you can follow the requirements,"

"Wow Ed, you have an assistant!" Winry exclaimed, "What's he like?"

"He?" laughed Roy, "It's a _she_. Her name is Lucy Webber. She's really smart, her IQ being high above any other IQs in the testing area for secretaries and personal assistants. I think you'll get along quite nicely,"

Winry pouted when she heard and threw Ed an ugly look. She was almost communicating without words, "I'm watching you, mister,"

"And why do I need an assistant?" Ed whined, trying to make Winry believe that he _hates_ the idea of having a female assistant.

"To wear a mini-skirt and look pretty for you," smirked Roy.

"Bastard, that's inappropriate," Ed growled, "Seriously now!"

"She basically handles all the paper work you're too busy to do, or schedule meetings, answers the phone… she's mostly doing your life easier," Riza said.

Winry's death glare softened up a bit, as she began to understand the importance of an assistant. After they finished dinner, they decided to take a walk on Main Street.

The view was so pretty at night. The moonlight lit the road, along with the Central illuminations on each side of the road. Riza was holding Roy's hand and Ed shyly took Winry's hand into his, avoiding her look. When they got to Roy's car, they all got in and headed to the Mustang manor.

As Riza was driving (the only one who didn't drink), she decided to drop the news and tell Roy something she kept in for a while.

"Roy?"

"Yeah?"

She paused, looking at his face. He was serene, looking out the window and admiring the moon. When her eyes turned to her, she lost her words for a while, but then regained speech and spoke:

"I'm pregnant,"

She was expecting a scared look, a shout or even a rant, but actually his face lit up and his eyes glowed with anticipation and happiness.

"That-That's incredible! I'm…I'm so happy, Riza!" he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Dummy, I'm driving!" she yelled and the two in the back giggled, "I've been since last month, but I wanted this entire craze with the festival and promotion end."

"All my life… All my life I've been telling this one thing to myself, that I don't need a family, that I don't want a wife or kids. Hughes told me once, "There's no happiness like loving a woman, or having a child." And then I met you. You, you amazing, wonderful, beautiful person. And I knew… I knew he was right. There is no bigger happiness than loving someone."

Their hand united, Riza keeping only her right hand on the wheel, "You understand, Edward? There is no bigger happiness than loving someone. Not even knowledge, money, or power. Or alchemy."

Startled, Ed looked at Winry. She was looking at him too.

Ed was packing his bags. He decided to sleep at his place tonight, and take Winry with him as well. He had an extra bedroom, and her train back to Reesembool was early in the morning, so he offered to drive her to the station.

He made his bed, leaving the room he had slept in pristine. He closed the door to his room, waiting for Winry in the hallway, when the door to her room opened and a muted whine caught Ed's ears.

"Winry, are you ok?" he rushed to her side.

"Yes, it's just…" she dropped her turquoise luggage, "This damn luggage is so heavy,"

"Let me carry-"he reached for her bag.

"No! You already have one, and I should be able to carry my one bag! It's my fault I packed so many dresses anyway." She struggled to take the bag from him.

He laughed, "Cut it out, Win, it's not heavy for me," he smiled and she pouted, disappointed in her disability.

He ruffled her hair and caressed her cheek, "You're so cute, you know that?"

Her little sad face didn't budge as she followed him to his car that was conveniently parked right in front of the mansion. Ed put the bags in the back and was ready to go when Roy and Riza came outside to see them off.

"Goodnight, you two. Behave," Riza smiled, and the two blushed.

"Listen to Riza, kids. Goodnight to you, Fullmetal. Work hard. And I hope we see each other soon, Winry. _Really_ soon. "Roy smirked and looked at Ed, trying to tell him something.

Ed opened the door for Winry, and got to his seat as well, "Goodnight to you too, Major. I hope you have a nightmare where I kick your sorry ass, Fuhrer-Spark."

He turned the motor on and headed to his apartment on Main Street. It was only a five minute drive from Roy's house, but still they had some heavy bags, even if Ed didn't admit it to Winry's face. The drive was pretty silent, with a couple stares from Ed directed to Winry and the other way around.

When they reached the apartment, Ed carried the bags to the door and Winry opened it with the key. He left the bags in the living room and threw himself on the couch, "Thew, that was a long weekend," he sighed.

Winry joined his side, tired as well, "I know, right? Good thing I don't have a lot to do when I go back home. "

Ed looked at her surprised, "Why do you say that? Is business going slow?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," she answered sadly, "There aren't a lot of people wearing automail in Reesembool, and even if there are, they go to mechanics in Central nowadays. I think Granny and I are just old-fashioned,"

"Are you kidding me? Win, you are the best automail mechanic out there! I can't believe they are so stupid to all the way to Central when the best is just under their noses… Snobs," he jerked.

She giggled, "That's sweet, Ed. I'll miss you crazy, you know."

"I'll miss you more…"

After he said that, a moment of silence fell upon them, and Edward kept thinking about what he'll be missing out on. Her smile, her hair, her delicious cooking… And then it felt like he was struck by lightning. Why does she have to leave? Why can't she stay here, in Central? With him? In his apartment?

"Or will I?" he asked, making her look confused at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.

"Winry, I hated all those years spent away from you. Though I didn't want to admit it, I missed you, damn it. I wanted to be there with you, wake up and see you in the morning and fall asleep by your side,"

When she heard those words she blushed embarrassed by his loving words, "I know it's a lot to ask, and damn, even a bit selfish, but will you stay in Central? For me? I mean… do you want to move in with me?"

Winry kept silent for a minute and stared at him, letting him wait in despair. The whole waiting was eating him from the inside, not knowing if she'll say yes or no.

"Well?"

"How can you even ask me that question, Edward Elric? Of course I want to move in with you! Idiot, you didn't even have to ask me that, it's so stupid! How can you say you are selfish? Geez, Ed, you are such a dimwit sometimes!"

"What the hell?" he shouted.

"I'm the one who's selfish! I want to be here and spend every minute with you, be there to cook you breakfast and dinner and see you grumpy morning face! I'm the selfish one!" she cried.

"No, I'm the selfish one! Who made you wait four years and then almost made you wait again a week ago?" he supported his argument.

"That's not true, I agreed to that! I'm ten times more selfish than you are!"

And so they argued who's the selfish one until they had forgotten what started the fight. They both shut up and took a minute to think.

"You can open up a shop in town," Ed said, starting at his feet. "Did you see the "For Sale" sign downstairs? There's a studio available and I'm going to buy it for you. You can work here; it's close from home, and close from me. See now who the selfish one is?"

"I'm going to be around all day and bug you to death, feed you to obesity and love you endlessly! Are you saying you're more selfish than me?" she kept arguing.

"So is that a yes?" he asked hopefully.

She leaned in and kissed him with passion, knocking him off and pining him to the couch. Feeling scared at first, she shook off any sign of anxiety and fear as she entered his mouth with her tongue, playing torridly with him. She raised her eyes and stared right into his, "Is that an answer clear enough for you?"

He grinned, "Guess I need to go downstairs and get that phone number. Tomorrow that apartment will be sold to a beautiful young lady from the countryside making her way up to the up in Central, "She smiled as their hands united, sitting silently on the couch, nothing disturbing their peace.

* * *

The next morning Ed woke up to a smell of freshly squeezed orange juice and cheese omelet. He and Winry slept separately that night, seeing as the other alternative was inappropriate, though desired by the both. He put on some clothes and made his way to the kitchen, where Winry was wearing and apron and making breakfast. He sneaked up on her, hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek, "Good morning, Win,"

She turned around and gave him a small peck on the lips, "Morning, Ed. Sit down, I've made breakfast. Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee, please," he sat down and grabbed a fork. After pouring the black liquid into a cup, she handed the coffee to Ed and sat down as well, eating a bowl of strawberries covered in sugar.

"Sweets in the morning, Win?" Ed giggled.

"What?" she pouted, "Just because I love sweets doesn't mean I'll get fat."

"I'd love you even if you weighed 200 pounds," he kissed her forehead.

"Liar," she mumbled.

"Did you get up and went shopping? You didn't have to trouble yourself; I should've bought something last night."

"Don't worry about it, there's a small grocery shop just around the corner. The shop keeper is really sweet; he welcomed me into the neighborhood and told me to congratulate you. He recognized me from the festival,"

"We're making a name for ourselves, aren't we?" he said as he gulped down the whole omelet, "What else did you buy?"

"Well, seeing as the fridge was empty, everything," she grinned, "I'm planning on making spinach quiche for dinner. You'll be around for that, won't you?"

"I hope," he sighed, "The military isn't a piece of cake; I should know, I've been there. But I'll do my best."

"Good then. It's late now, get dressed," she said.

He nodded and put his military uniform on. He tied his hair in his usual ponytail and brushed his teeth. He was ready to go.

Ed stopped by the kitchen while Winry was washing dishes to say goodbye, "I'll be stopping by the apartment to buy it. See you tonight, Win," he kissed her, "Remember to call Granny, all right?"

"Sure. See you,"

* * *

"Come on!"

Ed was waiting for the owner to answer. Apparently, the apartment he planned on buying was open to visitors that day and the owner was inside, only not answering to Ed's obsessive knocking.

Finally, the door was opened and an old man stood in the door step, looking quite taken aback by Ed's presence, "What do you want, kid?"

"It was about time, old man. Show me the apartment," Ed commanded.

"I have no time for this. If you're not a buyer, get out," the old man growled as he closed the door.

Ed put his foot in the way and stopped the door, "I am a buyer. So show me the place, name your price and give me that deed. I need to get to work,"

The man looked surprised at him. No one could blame him, really. There Ed stood, barely an adult, claiming to have a job and nonetheless, money to buy an apartment on Main Street.

He sighed and let Ed in, showing him the place. It was a simple studio, with a kitchen and bathroom. But it was quite enough for Winry's patients. The kitchen could be transformed into a patient room, with a bed and proper equipment for post-surgery healing. The main room was big enough for a surgery table and an examination bed and tool station.

"It's perfect," Ed thought, "Name your price,"

"B-But-"

"Just say it, ok? I'm already late!"

The old man gave Ed a piece of paper with the price. "Hm, quite the bargain." Then Ed asked for a bank account number, so he could transfer some money and pay the old man.

"This way it's safer. Happy doing business with you. If you have any complaints, swing by number 12 later in the evening. Check your account at around 5 in the evening, and leave the keys at my apartment after you're sure I didn't trick you. There should be someone around."

Ed put the paper inside his coat pocket and headed to the door, "Wait, kid! Who in God's name are you?"

Ed pointed to his uniform annoyed, "Can't you tell?"

"Y-You're in the military? But you're… so young… That means! But it can't be…"

"What is it?" Ed asked bored.

"Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist? Hero of Promised Day?" the man looked at Ed with admiration.

"Hm, I don't go by that anymore. I'm Colonel Edward Elric. Nice to meet you…" Ed attempted to shake hands with the man.

"Foster. George Foster," he shook Ed's hand.

"Mr. Foster. Thanks a lot. My girlfriend will love this place for her automail shop,"

* * *

After Ed transferred some money to Mr. Foster's account, and now he was ready to go to work. He got back into his car and drove as fast as he could to his office. The military unit he ran was actually conveniently close to his place, so he didn't need to rush; he was only ten or so minutes late.

He entered the huge unit and parked his car in the employee parking lot, when a guard came by him and said, "Sir, are you Colonel Edward Elric?"

"Yeah, I am. What of it?"

"You have a special parking space, Sir. There, right by the entrance," the guard pointed, and Ed hopped into his car and moved it to this own spot.

He enjoyed all these privileges, but he imagined that a lot of responsibilities had yet to appear. As he made his way through the building, he was greeted by several men, none of which he knew. When he finally found a door with his name on it, he entered and found a woman, no, a _girl_, sitting at a desk as if she was waiting for him only.

"Welcome, Colonel Elric, Sir," she said as she shook his hand.

The girl seemed to be around Ed's age, which was unlikely, though. She was tall, with beautiful auburn hair falling into rings as it reached her chest, striking emerald eyes and porcelain skin. She was of remarkable beauty and elegance, despite the plainness of the clothes she was wearing. A simple beige tailored suit; despite it being so simple, it suited her just right, hugging her figure like it was meant for her and only her.

"H-Hello," Ed responded, quite startled by her appearance.

"My name is Lucy Webber and I am going to be your personal assistant. So if you need anything, any little, insignificant thing, I'll be just a door away from you," she smiled brightly.

"Great, she has a nice smile, too…" he said to himself silently.

"Did you say something, Sir?"

"N-N-No!" Ed blushed, "Can you show me to my office, Miss Webber?"

She nodded and opened a door. The Fuhrer had outdone himself; the office was a huge, round-shape chamber, with a mahogany desk and leather chair, big enough to hold more than one, expensive bookcases in the back of the room, filled with books about the military, history, physical training, and not only. There were a lot of painting as well. The biggest one was a round one of Edward, made after one of his most recent photographs, which you could see upon your very entrance in the room.

"It's a bit much, don't you think?" he snorted.

"I don't think so," she answered sincerely, "You are an important man in the military, and you deserve something like this,"

He laughed, "Seems so."

"Sir, can I ask you a question?"

He was quite intrigued by her boldness. She had guts, after all, not like most of the assistants in the military, "Sure, shoot,"

"How old are you?"

"Hm, that one I've heard many times before. Eighteen. Why?"

"Really?" she widened her eyes, "I thought you only look young, but you're a lot younger than I expected… I thought twenty-five at least… I mean, you're a Colonel, and well… I can't believe someone my age is so high up in the military!"

He laughed, and she immediately blushed, trying to cover her words, "I-I didn't mean it disrespectfully! It's just that… you're quite an unique sight,"

"Thanks, that was refreshing. I think we'll get along, Miss Webber."

"Please, Sir, call me Lucy,"

He smiled, "Well then, Lucy, what do we have scheduled for today?"

* * *

First up was overseeing the State Alchemist qualification test. Twenty alchemist came in that day, but only five would make State. He remembered his test more than well, and as he looked at every one of the faces present, he recalled his nervousness and how tense he felt.

He called one of the alchemists' name and a young man stepped forward. He was about Ed's age and he looked familiar. By the look of his tan skin and worked hands, he must've been from the countryside.

"Peeta Miller," Ed called out as the alchemist grabbed a piece of chalk and began writing the construction formula.

As Peeta was calculating his concentrations and making his next move, Ed was sneaking a look over his file. He met all the physical requirements implemented recently by the military (height, weight and build), and he passed the written test with flying colors, but the special skills rubric was left blank. He looked at Peeta's personal info, and he found out he was one year younger than Ed and he was from Reesembool as well. That's why he looked familiar.

When Ed looked down to see Peeta's work, he was astounded to find that Peeta had made from the materials laid out for the contestants a small house. Ed got down from his balcony overseeing the arena and decided to take a closer look to that house.

As he went through the door (even though he had to tilt down), he was left speechless by the detail of the house. It had even separating walls, creating two distinctive rooms, windows, and he even managed to create some furniture.

"This is … incredible!" Ed exclaimed, "You're extremely talented, Peeta!"

The teen looked at Ed surprised, and answered cheerfully, "Thank you, Sir! Everyone back home told me I ain't gonna make it, that I am just a mere builder. Glad to see it's not that way,"

"I'm gonna beat their sorry asses when I get myself to Reesembool," Ed laughed.

"You're from Reesembool as well, aren't you Sir? I recognized you, Edward Elric. It's an honor."

Peeta and Ed shook hands, and Ed added, "It was an honor as well, Peeta. See you after the results, though I know the odds are in your favor."

The rest of the candidates weren't too remarkable; a few didn't even manage in building a competent circle. Four or five of them didn't do badly, but they weren't good enough for State. Nonetheless, there were a few which caught Ed's eye.

First, there were two brothers in their twenties that managed to synchronize their every transmutation and create a sort of chain reaction which involved a ladder or something like that; and every time one of them got up a step, another one would appear and so on.

Ed was also impressed by a middle aged man who created really complicated weapons like guns and rifles, spears and bows using only metal and wood.

He also saw a girl that was about thirteen who brought her own reagents. Some grapes, materials and a broken clock. She managed creating wine, exquisite wine to add, repair the clock, and to Ed's surprise, a dress for Winry.

After every candidate left the arena, he sat in his balcony with Lucy, trying to fill out the result form, "So, Sir, what's your decision?"

"Well, Peeta Miller is definitely in. His building alchemy style will definitely benefit it in times of war and not only. The Gustav brothers were also impressive, plus they have extraordinary physical skills. See, the younger one can lift 200 pounds and the older one can rip a full-grown oak into half with his bare hands."

"Though they barely passed the intelligence test," Lucy added sarcastically.

Ed laughed, "Come on, not all alchemists need to be sharp. The old man… Henry Pope, he's in too. He can create fine weapons for soldiers, very useful indeed."

Lucy wrote all the names on the list, "And that girl?"

"You liked her too, didn't you?" he smirked, "I was surprised by her attitude; she was so cocky, despite the fact that she was a thirteen-year-old shrimp, barely heavy enough to stand up."

* * *

"_Alicia Pendleton," Ed called out, and a small girl with black hair and eyes approached him boldly, wearing something that looked like a boys' outfit; some white shirt and an overall. _

"_Wait, this can't be right- Kid, how much do you weight and measure?"_

"_Weren't you taught that it is a rude thing to ask a girl her weight?" the girl struck out her tongue, "And I don't think you were an inch above me when you started out as a State alchemist, Edward Elric,"_

_He wasn't surprised that she knew her name; but her confident attitude and loud mouth got him interested in that little one._

"_Well then," he laid back, "Show me what you've got, shrimp,"_

_She threw her reagents angrily on the ground and quickly drew a circle, "Who are you calling shrimp, you lousy-mini-Colonel?" she shouted as a blue light flashed, and a glass was filled with wine, as well as the clock was fixed._

_Ed got down the second time that day from his balcony and took a sip out of the glass. It was even better that the one he'd drank last night, "Hm, pretty good. For a bartender!" he shouted immaturely, "Show me what you've got, Shrimp!"_

_She got angry and shouted at him, "Do you have a girlfriend? Even though it's unlikely, seeing as you're ugly and bitter,"_

_He blushed, "As a matter of fact, I do!"_

"_Well then, I hope she enjoys this!"_

_Expecting something horrid, he covered his eyes and waited for her transmutation to be over. When he opened them, he saw a beautiful dress made from silk with flowers and delicate lace detailing. How the hell did that girl make it?_

_He grabbed it and slid it through his fingers, "Well then, a bartender and a tailor!"_

_She ran and scratched his cheek with a sharp knife, "I'm not done yet!". She put on some gloves with a construction formula on the palms (very similar to Mustang's) and touched Ed cheek. After the flash, Ed touched his cheek. The deep scratch disappeared. _

* * *

"Write her, too."

Lucy put the sheet in the hallway and the contestants went to look at them. There were a few happy cheers and also sad voices, but all in all, they all congratulated each other, and shook Ed's hand. He announced that they should come in after a couple of hours to receive their certificate and pocket watch.

* * *

"Winry, why didn't you call me sooner to tell me you're not arriving today! I was so worried!" said Granny Pinako.

"I'm sorry, Granny, it's just that I've been busy today. This place doesn't clean itself, you know," she shrugged, tired from all the housework.

"What place?" asked the woman intrigued.

"Well…that's why I'm calling. Ed…asked me to move in with him. And… I said yes," she barely managed to pull out of herself, embarrassed as hell.

Pinako cheered over the phone, jumping around her house with joy and liveliness, "Yes! Yes! That pipsqueak finally did something!"

"What are you saying, Granny?" Winry giggled.

"I'm saying, he finally gathered the courage to take your relationship to a new level," Granny snickered, "A proposal would be a little too much for now, since you are still young, but moving in together seems just right, doesn't it?"

Winry smiled, "Yeah, I thought so too. I'm really excited, Granny, but if you're not ok with it, or if you'll get lonely…"

"Nonsense! I want you two to be together, no matter what! And I hope you'll both pay me visits once in a while,"

"Be sure of that. I'm also opening an automail shop just downstairs. I think it'll be exciting!"

"If you have any question about running an automail service, you know the right person. I'll be a phone-call away,"

"Sure, Granny. Well, if that's all, then-"

"Oh no,no,no young lady, that isn't all. I know we've talked about this…several times, but make sure you go to the apothecary's to buy… you know what,"

Winry blushed at her grandmother's reference of birth control pills, "Grandma! Me and Ed haven't even… you know…"

"I know, I'd imagine with that shyness of his… But just in case, and to put me at ease, swing by the apothecary's this afternoon,"

Winry sighed, "Yes, I understand,"

"And don't forget! Take one each night for them to be effective! And don't believe the rumors, they won't make you gain weight!"

"Goodbye, Grandma!"

* * *

Ed tried his best to write all of the certificates, and come up with good names for the new State Alchemists. He had the help of his competent assistant, and in two hours' time, the first alchemist was welcomed into his office.

"So congratulations, Peeta," Ed said while handing him his certificate. "Are you sure about this? You know you'll be called out at any time we need you? You're like a-"

"Like a dog of the military, I am well aware of that. But I have nine younger brothers, Sir, and a sick mother. I need to send them money."

"And is this the best way? Builders don't have bad salaries these days."

"I want to be more than a puny builder! I want knowledge, Sir!" he shouted greedily.

Ed snorted, "There's a little story I tell everybody. There was once a man that build some wings made out of wax and bird feathers, because the son wanted to have the joy of flying. He warned him not to fly close to the Sun, but he didn't listened. So his wings melted, and he collapsed to the ground, dead. Be careful, Peeta. Don't desire more than you can obtain," Ed told him seriously.

"Aye, Sir…" he answered quite taken aback by Ed's reply.

"Be careful, and remember: knowledge, money, fame they don't bring you happiness. The only true happiness men have is love. "

Peeta chuckled, "Huh, is it really?"

Ed finished writing the certificate, and handed it over to Peeta, "Here, sign. From now on you are known as Peeta Miller, the Home-Builder Alchemist. Do your best, Peeta,"

Peeta signed and grabbed his certificate and pocket watch, "Thank you, Sir. Good, now I have to find a place in Central," he laughed.

"You don't have where to stay?" Ed asked.

"N-No, I was thinking about crashing over at a cheap hostel or something like that," Peeta thought.

"Don't worry! I have a free room at my apartment! You can stay at my place until the military gives you a home,"

"No, I can't accept this, Sir," Peeta replied respectfully.

"Nonsense! I need to make sure each and every one of my subordinates are doing well, including you. See it as a little favor for a fellow villager."

Peeta thanked Ed deeply, and told him he's heading to the library to do some research, "Very well then. I'll come and pick you up when I finish work. Winry will be glad to have another mouth to feed,"

"W-Winry? Do you mean Winry Rockbell, sir?" Peeta asked, almost scared.

Ed looked confused at the young man, "Yes, why do you ask?"

Peeta shook his head, "It-It's nothing, Sir. It's just that… we were in the same school, I mean, she was a year above me, but…"

"Oh, that's great!" Ed said, putting his arm around Peeta's shoulders and patting him, "Maybe she'll remember your funny little scared face, Peeta!"

"Sir, it really isn't necessary-"

"Peeta, if you say something like that again, I might have to fire you. And I will hate having to lose such a talent as yourself,"

Peeta sighed and headed to the library.

* * *

"Here you go, Shrimp. You're now called the Perfect Housewife Alchemist,"

"What?" Alicia growled, "Stop making fun of me, Colonel Bastard!"

Ed laughed, "I meant, Alicia Pendleton, the Healing-Finger Alchemist. You're gonna go far, kid,"

She pouted and signed the contract, grabbing it from him as well as the pocket watch.

"And might I ask, why does a little girl such as yourself aspire to be a State alchemist?"

"I was raised in an orphanage," she sighed, "It was horrible, but they fed and raised me, so I'm grateful to the orphanage matrons for that. One of the men who took care of us, a doctor, was an alchemist. I was so captivated by the way he healed us, so I decided to follow his path. He said that becoming a State alchemist would grant me information and a house, so I trained and studied hard for the examination, and I passed."

"And that's your purpose? To escape the orphanage and gain access knowledge?" Ed snickered.

"That's not all," she said, "There are a lot of kids in my orphanage that are really sick. Two of them even have cancer and need expensive medication. Three brothers were in a train accident that killed their parents and left them disabled. One of them lost his right arm, the other is paralyzed from the waist down and the last is blind. I know I can't help then regain what they lost,"

Ed jumped subconsciously when the girl talked about gaining what is lost. She must've heard his story.

"But I want to help them live a better life,"

"I know how you can help the one who's lost that arm," Ed wrote an address on a piece of paper, "Here's my address. Come by tomorrow and ask for Winry,"

She looked carefully and put it in her little bag, "Thank you, Colonel."

I waved at her, "See you then."

* * *

After talking to the rest of the newly appointed State alchemists, Ed was exhausted. He didn't believe that sitting around and writing papers, evaluating alchemists and talking to them would be so tiring. The sun was setting and it was about time he went home. He passed through Lucy's desk and headed to the door, "Miss Webber, I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow,"

"I'm leaving too, Sir. Excuse me, but…don't you live on Main Street?" she asked nervously.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Could you please give me a ride? I don't own a car and I'm quite new to the area,"

"Of course, but we need to stop and get Peeta Miller. He's staying at my place until the military gives him a home," Ed grinned.

"Is that so? You are so kind, Sir,"

* * *

After picking up Peeta, the three were heading to Main Street. Edward was surprised to find Peeta still reading, focused on his studies more than anything surrounding him.

"Did you find anything interesting, Peeta?" Ed asked.

"Well, I read a bit about Xerxes and how it disappeared in one night. Horrible thing, that Philosopher's Stone,"

"Yes, indeed," Ed sighed, while he steered the wheel, entering Main Street, "Where should I stop, Lucy?"

Lucy pointed to the building right next to Ed's, "Right here, Sir,"

Ed stopped the car and opened her door, "Funny thing, I live next door. Shoot, I'm late. Winry's probably waiting for me,"

"Ah, right. The girl from the festival," she shrugged.

"Yes, yes! I mean she's a gear head and she has a tendency to throw wrenches at me, but she's really pretty, and smart, and kind, and she cooks really well! We're having spinach quiche tonight, do you want to-"

Before Ed could even finish his sentence, Lucy turned her back and headed to her apartment. He kept looking at her back for a second, then he turned around and entered his building, "That was odd," he thought.

He climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor and knocked on the door. Winry opened it and smiled, giving Ed a loving kiss.

"Welcome home, Ed," she smiled.

"Good to be back, Win,"

After their brief hug, Winry stared at Peeta, not saying a word. She looked like she was beyond surprised, more like scared or such.

"Winry? Hey, are you alright?"

"Hello, Winry," Peeta said and bowed his head, the way boys do when they greet girls in Reesembool.

"Peeta…" she barely spoke.

"See Winry, it's Peeta! He went to the same school-"

"I know," she cut him off, "He was a year under me. Why are you here, Peeta?"

"He took the State exam. He's a State alchemist now," Ed boosted about his new subordinate, putting his hand around his shoulder, not reading the mood at all.

"Oh, you did?" Winry said nervously, "Congratulations, Peeta,"

"Tha-Thank you, Winry. Congratulations to yourself, also. For…moving in together," Peeta sorrowfully said, looking as if the words he spoke pained him.

Ed blushed, "Well then, Peeta, let's get some food into our bellies!"

The two entered the house and took a seat. The kitchen was filled with the beautiful scent of warm quiche, and Ed knew that the meal he'd be having would be one of best meals in months, even though he had been going to gourmet restaurants this week. Nothing compared to Winry's cooking.

"So Win, did you receive the keys for the apartment downstairs?" Ed asked with his mouth full.

"Yes,"

"And did you call Granny?"

She choked on the quiche, remembering the whole sex-talk, "Y-Y-Yes!"

"Did you go out today?"

"Why is this starting to feel like I'm a kid! Yes, I went to buy some medicine for... muscle ache," she lied.

"I'm just being protective of ya, jeez," he stuffed his face with quiche.

He took a big bite out of his plate and moaned delighted, "Yum! I love this!" he ate is greedily and pointed his empty plate to Winry, "Seconds?"

Winry laughed, "You're hopeless, Ed. Chew your food, if you eat quickly you might get a stomach ache," she turned her head to Peeta, who was barely eating anything, "Are you feeling ok, Peeta?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah, it's just that…I'm not very hungry," he said, even though he took a bite of the quiche, "This really is tasty. You've come a long way since your Home Ec classes," he chuckled melancholically.

"I burned an entire turkey one time, remember?" she laughed, "And you were so good…I always envied you in Home Ec,"

Ed looked surprised, "You took Home Ec classes together?"

"Yeah, and we also did Agriculture together," Winry smiled, "We were actually partners in both these classes; it was easy in agriculture; I was good at gathering, he was good at lifting heavy stuff," she patted him over his massive arm.

The guy was large, Ed noticed it from the evaluation. He was about 6"5', while as Ed was only 6" and muscular as well, very well developed for his age. Not that Ed was still that puny little teenager from three years ago, but he still had this jealousy for Peeta.

He went to school with Winry. Granted, he was an underclassman, but that never stopped Winry. He was tall, muscular and strong. Every girl's dream, right? They had Home Ec and Agriculture together. Who knows what might've happened? Peeta lifting some grains, sweating, took his shirt off. Winry, as kind as she is, approached him at wiped off his sweat with a handkerchief. Soon enough, the mood got hotter and hotter and-

"Ed!" Winry shouted.

He woke up from his daydream, "W-What?"

"Peeta says he wants to go to his room and get some sleep! Jeez, were you even paying attention?"

He shook it off, got up and showed Peeta Winry's bedroom, "You'll sleep in here,"

"And where will I sleep?" asked Winry whining.

"Where do you think ya'll sleep?" Ed shouted, half embarrassed, half annoyed.

Winry's mouth closed as she realized that she had to spend the night with Ed.

* * *

**A/N: Muahahaha let them die in embarrassement! I see hot things in the future... or hot messes! Keep tuned for the next chapter 3 Love you all, thank you for the reviews. They my fuel )  
**


	4. Dance of Pleasure and Sin

**A/N: hey guys! sorry for the late upload, but I guess it becomes harder and harder to write after a few chapters. I hope you enjoy this one. Remember : a review = a smile from the author! **

* * *

Winry got out of the bathroom wearing her simple nightdress. Ed was in bed, wearing only his pajama bottoms as usual, reading a newspaper like an old man.

She got into bed next to him and looked at him intrigued. This scenery, every part of it, looked so normal. It looked so normal, yet it felt so strange and new to her.

"He's nice, isn't he?"

Winry looked startled at Ed, "You mean Peeta?"

"Of course, what did you think?" Ed answered rushed.

Winry thought about her days as a schoolgirl, and remember seeing Peeta every day. Even though he was an underclassman, all the girls loved him, even the seniors. He was special, all right. Smart, athletic and good-looking. Tall as a tree to add. There were so many girls in that school, so many beautiful admirers of Peeta, and he had to fall for Winry, "Yes, he's definitely something else,"

Ed put his newspaper down, "Yeah, I bet he's a lot better than me, isn't he?"

"Can you stop this unnecessary jealousy?" Winry shouted, "I never loved him the way I love you! He's just a friend!"

Ed looked at her doubtfully, "I don't think he looks at you in the same way you do. You definitely have a connection, I noticed it during dinner. Did something happen between you two, Winry?"

Winry hesitated telling him, but somehow ended up spitting out everything.

_**Three years ago **_

"_Cut it out, Joanne!" Winry shrieked._

_The two friends and three boys, including Peeta, were walking home from school around twilight, "Come on, Winry, we want to know more about your fellow!"_

_Winry blushed, "He's not my fellow, Joanne, and you know that!"_

_A blonde boy laughed, "Stop hiding it, Winry. Why else would you turn down me and half the boys at our school?"_

_Winry blushed as she tugged on her skirt, "Because you're an idiot, Gabriel,"_

_The third boy spoke, "Wait, wait. Isn't he that shrimp, Elric, that comes around every two months or so? Oh, Winry, do you like 'em short?"_

_Winry blushed and punched the boy, "You're such a jerk, Joe! And stop calling him short, he's almost as tall as I am now!"_

"_Yeah, sure," Gabriel added sarcastically, "After he climbs a stepping stool he'll probably be able to reach your face,"_

_Joe and Gabriel laughed, and even Joanne escaped a giggle. It was laughable, really. Winry was the most beautiful girl in school, and she fell for an arrogant shrimp. _

"_Really, Winry, you should try dating. Try to forget this little childhood crush on Elric. Or you should try dating his brother, Alphonse. I heard he's really tall and well-built," Joanne giggled._

"_You're so shallow, Joanne, I can't believe you! There's more to a man than his height!" Winry shouted and caught Peeta's attention._

_He never thought about it, really. All the girls from his school looked for in a guy was height, strength and looks. But Winry was different. She just…didn't seem to care._

_**Two years ago (1-2 months before Promised Day)**_

"_Ah!" Winry sighed as she drank the cold water. After a day in the sun, something as trivial as water was like the nectar of the Gods to her. _

_Peeta was staring at her, forgetting his chores. The seniors and juniors had joined Agriculture classes, and they were supposed to gather strawberries and carry them back to the school that day. After the two of them gathered two baskets, Peeta was carrying both of them back, refusing Winry's help._

"_You sure you don't want me to help, Peeta?" Winry smiled, "I know I don't look like it, but I'm pretty strong,"_

"_It's alright, Winry. Plus, you're a girl; you shouldn't be carrying around that much weight," _

_She thanked him as they walked to the school peacefully, "Winry…"_

"_Yes, Peeta?"_

"_W-Would you like to…"_

_He stopped at the middle of the sentence, knowing what her answer would be. He knew she would turn him down. But somehow he had to hear her… he had to hear her turn him down. _

"_Do you think… it would be ok with you to go out after Agriculture?"_

_Winry raised her eyebrows confused. She took a minute to answer, but put on her best kind smile and replied, "Sure! Come and pick me up at eight, so I can get dressed up properly."_

_Peeta felt so happy he could grab her into his arms and never let him go. Finally, he had the guts to ask out the girl whom he had had a crush for over a year, and she said yes! _

"_I think you should put these on," Granny handed Winry some pearls._

"_No, Granny! They're yours, I can't possibly-"_

"_They're your mother's," Pinako said and they both stopped talking, "She would've wanted you to wear these on your first date."_

_Winry put them on obediently, "I wonder if she's looking at me now,"_

_Granny put her hands over Winry's shoulders, "She is. Though I think she would've wanted Ed to be waiting on that doorstep,"_

_Winry almost cried when she heard his name, "No! I'm sick and tired of waiting for that pipsqueak to come home! I don't care if he loves me or not, I can't stand him leaving me all the time! Peeta is here, and sweet, and he'd never hurt me!"_

_Pinako stared at her granddaughter in surprise. She looked so angry and wrecked, tears filling her eyes and making her mascara run down a bit._

"_He's taller than you now, Winry; he's not a pipsqueak anymore," Pinako tried to cheer her up. Soon the doorbell rang; Winry got up and wiped her tears._

"_Peeta's here," she faked happiness, "I better not make him wait,"_

_She was sitting in the doorstep, wearing a beautiful white dress, revealing her shoulders and gentle knees. She tied her hair up in a high ponytail with a white ribbon, matching her dress, and had some brown stripy sandals. _

_Peeta couldn't help but stare at what appeared to be an angel instead of Winry. He handed her some flowers he picked up from his mother's garden and kissed her hand, "Good evening, Miss. And if I'm allowed to say, I wish you to know that you caught my breath tonight with your appearance."_

_Winry blushed at his flattering country boy manners, "T-Thank you, Peeta. You look quite ravishing yourself,"_

_He was wearing brown linen pants and a sky blue shirt, matching his stunning, aquamarine eyes and light blonde hair. After Winry carefully put the flowers in a vase, Peeta offered her his arm and they walked to the local restaurant, a simple outdoor bistro to have something sweet and lemonade._

_Winry and Peeta were small talking the night away, discussing every small subject in detail and getting to know more about each other. She had found out that he has nine younger brothers and he had lost his Father not long ago, and as he continued talking, she found out how little she knew him. _

"_I always see you rushing somewhere after school's over," Winry says, sipping lemonade, "Where do you head off to?"_

"_Work," he answered, "I work part-time as a builder. It's not much, but Mom doesn't make much as a shop attendant."_

_Winry sighed, "I never knew life was so hard on you. I'm an only child, and my grandma has a lot of money, so we don't have problems," _

_Peeta shook his head, "My problems and pains don't even compare to yours, Winry. You've lost both your parents in the Ishval extermination war, the ones you love most are far away from you, and you're still standing,"_

_Winry blushed as Peeta stared into her eyes. His eyes were so kind and warm. She was almost mesmerized by their deepness the closer he got to her. He leaned in and stole an innocent peck on the lips from her. _

_She liked him so much, and he was so special, yet she didn't feel anything. Not even a spark. Whenever Ed entered the room, it would light up. Whenever he'd touch her, fireworks appeared. Whenever their eyes would meet, and explosion occurred._

_He was walking her back home, when she stopped and looked straight into his eyes, "Peeta…"_

_Peeta gazed back and sighed, "You're about to turn me down, aren't you?"_

_She widened her eyes, "How-I mean, why did you think so?"_

"_It's obvious you're in love with Edward, Winry," he laughed almost bitterly, "Everyone knows why you're so bright and happy all of a sudden sometimes. It means he's back in town. And you even talk about him a lot; more than you realize probably. You mention him almost every time we're in Home Ec or Agriculture."_

_Winry froze while Peeta leaned in and kissed her for real that time. He was so warm, so loving inside her mouth, still she felt numb, "I had to do that," Peeta excused his actions, "I can tell you don't love me like I love you, Winry Rockbell,"_

_She touched his hand compassionately, "Peeta…"_

"_And even though you love Edward Elric, if he'd ever hurt you, make you cry or abandon you, I'll be right here. You can always come back to me," _

_They kept walking until they reached Winry's house, where she threw herself into his arms and started crying, "Hush, hush. I know it hurts."_

"_I-I-I love him so much, Peeta!" Winry managed to say between sobs and cries, "I love him so much, and he doesn't even know. And now… this time I don't even know if he'll be coming back alive or in a coffin!"_

_He comforted her, burying her head into his chest, "He'll come back._

* * *

Ed kept his eyes on Winry until she finished the story, noticing every little gesture she made. The faint smile when she mentioned Peeta asking her out, the pained face when she spoke about their kisses, her sorrow when sharing her feelings about Ed at the time.

"I'm so sorry I hid that from you, Ed," she said, tears falling down her cheeks, "I just… I missed you so much! And … Promised Day was coming, and I didn't even know if you would come back. I cherished you more than my own life, yet you knew nothing about my feelings,"

She buried her face into his hands and cried harder. He hugged her tightly, giving her a shelter between his arms, "I knew. Somewhere deep down, I knew that you loved me. It's ok, Win, it's over now. Promised Day is over,"

Winry kept sobbing, "I had nightmares for so long, and they still come and haunt me sometimes. You dying, Al's armor breaking…It's horrible, Ed!"

He squeezed her tighter to his chest, holding his tears in, "We're back now, Win, no one can hurt us now. It's ok, Winry…it's ok…"

"Do you promise, Ed? Do you promise you'll never leave me, that you'll always be there for me and in return I'll love you until the day I die?" she whispered almost scared, wiping her tears.

"I can't believe that after all we've been through recently you're still asking me this," he chuckled, "I love you, Winry Rockbell, and I will never, ever, _ever_ leave you again. You understand that?" he poked her nose gently.

She escaped a giggle and he tickled her belly, making her laugh even more, "Stop it, Ed!" she said through laughs. After he stopped, they stared at each other for a moment, not knowing what to do. He gazed into her eyes seductively, leaning in and kissing her.

His flavor invaded her senses, their tongues gently touching. The explosion of pleasure assaulted both of them, keeping their eyes closed.

And then all of a sudden, her small frame was entirely enveloped by his torso. Not only did he drape his arms around her, but he also pulled her tightly against his chest.

It took her a while to realize where she was, or what was that musk she smelled, or who that warm breath on her skin belonged to. But as soon as she did, she didn't hesitate and, instinctively, placed her hands on his waist and crawled even closer – if that had even been possible.

And even though she was lying on a bed, she felt her legs turn into jelly and her heart pick up an even quicker pace; it was so loud she was sure he could hear it. But he was too busy trying not to get hard too quickly.

She dug her face in his hot neck as she sighed deeply, shakily. That exact pressure on that spot had some very curious effects on her. But she wanted to feel it a little more; she wanted to be closer…

For a moment Ed thought she wanted to back away; he thought she'd had too much and wanted to leave it at that. He would not have minded, he would have understood; but instead, after only a few minutes of lying still she was taking off her cute pink nightgown, throwing it on the ground.

In the faint moonlight that his eyes had become accustomed to, he could still somehow see that underneath all she wore were her panties and a hot pink lace bra; he noticed her perky breasts, mere inches away from him, causing some point in his nether regions to throb violently.

And then she shifted back into that embrace with him; bodies pressed so tight together in a way that he would only dream of. There wasn't any fabric to meddle between the heat of their skins…

"Winry…" He wanted to ask her what exactly they were doing, but that would just be stupid. Instead, he ventured a kiss. Timid and fast at first, but soon enough they became as passionate as their hearts desired.

She was clearly enjoying the rubbing of his limb on her. So he thought… Why not be a little bolder?

"Oh God…" he muttered, praying that she would not kill him for this. He turned his body, and hers too, so that he was on top of her. With his hands he parted her legs.

"Ed, what are you…? Nnh!" She timidly tried to protest, but as he placed himself into a perfect fit with her shape a moan cut her off mid-sentence. Once again out of instinct, she arched her back and thrust her waist against his, increasing the burning pressure even more. He too was startled at her body's reaction. Tender as he was, he might just pop the lid at any given minute and he did not want to blow this up.

"Just go with it for a minute, ok?" he whispered into her ear.

She had never felt so hot, so vibrating; it was like a fever had taken over her and every bit of her skin, or almost – she had a sudden desire to remove her bra and let the skin of her breasts warm up against his chest.

Would that be too much? She longed for it, yes, but somehow she was also afraid. Afraid of what they could lead themselves into, and afraid of her own desires. Anxiety seemed to take over her for a while – so she interrupted their kiss and fully covered her face with her hands. What did the think of her at that very moment? Was he engrossed? Would he belittle her? She could bet he wasn't half the pervert she was.

"What… w-what's wrong? You okay? You wanna stop?" Ed asked, alarmed.

She spread her fingers a little so she could take a good look at his face. The look of worry he carried was sweet, she thought. But his stare also made her uncomfortably embarrassed, so she shut her fingers tight again.

"Win, are you okay?" he asked, trying to drop her finger off her face.

"Y-Yes! It's just that… I'm embarrassed," she looked at him and blushed.

Ed looked at her cute, shy face and laughed. He couldn't stop laughing, still pinned on top of her, almost crying at the same time.

"Ed!" she shouted angrily.

He stopped laughing and wiped a teardrop from his eye, "You're priceless, Win," he said and his face got serious, "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's ok to think about me _that_ way,"

He leaned in and started kissing her neck, a soft moan escaping her throat, "I've been having…_thoughts_ about you, too, these last years,"

He buried his face into her neck, trying to hide his nervous blush, "I think I'm…" she whispered.

He lifted his face and looked into her eyes, "What?" he whispered erotically, "I think I'm ready," she finished, as she lifted her lips and pressed them onto his, the two falling into a dance of pleasure and sin.

* * *

The next morning, the two woke up in each other's arms, the sun rays warming up their bare bodies. When Ed sensed Winry waking up, he kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear, "Good morning, my beautiful sleepy gear head,"

She giggled, "You couldn't leave the "gear" part away, could you?"

He raised his hands, "Why would I if it's true?"

Winry pouted and Ed smirked, leaning on top of her and stealing a kiss. Soon after he got up, leaving her wanting for more, "Come on, you have a lot to do in your shop today. And I have work as well,"

He was buttoning up his shirt and putting on his military jacket when Winry approached him only in her bathrobe, opening his jacket, "Loosen up, Colonel Elric."

He chuckled, "Stop it Win, I really need to get to work. And you need to get to work as well. I'm sending in a patient for you today,"

Winry looked at him surprised, "Patients? Where did you find him?"

"A State Alchemist shrimp came in with puppy dog eyes and a sappy story about an orphanage and a kid who lost his right arm in a train accident, as well as his parents," Edward finished getting dressed.

Winry followed him to the kitchen, where he put some leftover quiche and an apple in his lunchbox, "That sounds pretty horrible, doesn't it?"

Ed shrugged, "I've heard worse,"

She stared at him, carefully silent, "That State Alchemist…how old is he?"

"It's a she," Ed chuckled, "She's 13, the little shrimp! And she became a State Alchemist…"

"She reminds me of someone," Winry said, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a goodbye kiss.

"See you this evening, Win,"

"See you, Ed,"

Peeta got up sleepily and put on his clothes. He was in her room, and everything around him felt weird and abnormal. Her flowery smell, the sight of her turquoise and sky blue clothes, pretty, girly bed linen. The whole room had Winry written all over it, and it almost hurt him to be in it.

He got out of the room and saw Winry closing the front door, "Good morning," he barely spoke.

"Morning, Peeta!" Winry said with a big, warm smile on her face, approaching the boy, "I was thinking about making breakfast. What would you like?"

"You don't have to bother yourself, Winry, I think I'll go and eat at a bistro around," he replied coldly and turned his back on her.

She sighed, "You don't have to be like this, you know,"

He turned around and looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not saying forget the past, but at least try to make the present a little more enjoyable," she tried to convince him, "I can't seem to find a reason why we can't be friends,"

"I apologize… but it's hard to think of you as of a mere friend. I know it may have meant nothing for you, Winry, but that date we had two years ago, and the times we spent in school… they meant a lot to me,"

"I know that, Peeta. And I'm sorry if I ever gave you false hope. It's just that… I missed Ed so much and you were there..."

"Does he even know about us?"

"I told him," she said while breaking some eggs in a bowl, "Last night,"

Winry pointed to a seat and Peeta sat down while Winry was making a cheese omelet. She mixed the cheese with the eggs and started cooking them in the frying pan, the smell of the omelet entering the room.

"Last night…" Peeta thought about the sounds he overheard.

Winry blushed immediately when Peeta mentioned the previous night. Could he hear them? She separated the omelet in two plates and added some tomatoes and cucumbers on the side for a little vegetable delight. Winry also squeezed some oranges and made juice, handing Peeta a glass, "Here,"

"Thanks,"

The two ate breakfast silently, not looking at one another, when the phone rang. Peeta looked at Winry intrigued, "Sorry, I'm going to have to answer it," Winry rushed to the phone in the entrance hall, "Hello?"

"Winry! What a surprise! I see you haven't left Central yet,"

The familiar voice made Winry smile, "Al! Well…n-not exactly, no. But forget about me, how have you been?"

"Oh, pretty well actually," Al chuckled, "I've been going to work this week and I really enjoy it. I also love Xing a lot, and I've learned so much about alkahestry and Xingese culture. I can't wait to tell Brother,"

"I'm sorry Ed couldn't answer, he's at work right now,"

"No worries, they're sending me here anyway to pick up some stuff for the military unit. You know, books, weapons, documents and all that useless mess. I'll be in Central for the weekend, and I need a place to crash,"

"You can always stay at my…Ed's…_our_ place?" Winry asked herself confused.

Al changed his voice, "Oh, Winry, did you and Ed move in together? That's a step forward," he remarked suggestively.

"As a matter of fact, yes, he did ask me to move in with him. And I said yes, of course. I'm also opening an automail shop downstairs from our apartment, so I won't lose track of work."

"I'm so happy for you guys," Al said softly, "And I'm really proud of Ed. I bet it was excruciatingly hard for him to say that out loud,"

"I thought so too," Winry giggled.

"Well then, Winry, that's all I had to say. I'll be arriving Friday with the PM Express, so I'll reach Central station at about 8 PM. Oh, I almost forgot. I'm also coming with Mei, is that a problem?"

Winry smirked, "Not if you mind sharing a bed,"

She could almost see Al's red face and flustered expression, "W-W-Winry! We can't… it's not right for us to sleep in the same room, we're still minors! That's just so…so immoral! Jeez, you're a pervert. I'll sleep on the couch, if you have one,"

Winry laughed, "I'm just kidding, Al. Ed will sleep with you and I'll sleep with Mei, if it makes you uncomfortable to sleep with her. Talk about overreacting,"

"I did _not_! God, how on Earth could you think that I find sleeping with a girl uncomfortable? No, wait…I didn't mean it like _that_! It's just… it's not right, and we've just started dating and…and… Argh, I hate explaining this to you!,"

Winry laughed, "You're so cute, Al. You're more like Ed than you imagine,"

Al sighed, "Well, thanks anyway," he said, "What the hell, that was awkward," he mumbled to himself, "What, do you and Brother sleep together?"

Winry blushed and stuttered, "W-W-Well, look at the time, clients are…almost here! Talk to you later, Al! Can't wait for you and Mei, have a nice trip, bye bye now! "

She hang up the phone and returned to finish her breakfast, looking at Peeta, "I'm sorry for that, it was just…"

"Alphonse. How's he doing in Xing, by the way?"

"He's just perfect, that little bastard. He already found himself a girlfriend, and a princess to add," she said while drinking her juice.

"A princess? That's impressive. He's researching alkahestry?"

"Yes, and running a military unit. Jeez, I swear, these Elric brothers are circus freaks," Winry stuffed her face with the last piece of omelet that was on her plate.

"But you still love them,"

"I'll always love the two idiots. They're my family," Winry picked up the dishes and washed them in the sink, "I can't imagine life without them,"

Peeta got up and looked for his coat, "I'm really happy for you, Winry. You deserve this."

"Do you think so?"

"You have the right to be happy after all you've been through. I'm sorry for the way I acted before. I was selfish. I didn't think about how you must have been feeling waiting for them all the time, and how happy you are now that they're back and closer to your heart than ever. It's just that… seeing you again brought up undisclosed feelings,"

Winry stared at him as he put on his grey coat, "I was quite startled when I saw you, too. The world's a small place, isn't it?"

Peeta opened the door, "It sure is. I'm leaving now to search for an apartment. Thanks for everything, Winry."

"You don't have to worry about it, silly. And if you ever have any problem, we're right here," Winry smiled as she closed the door.

* * *

Ed sat in his desk bored, signing some papers and listening to the radio. He wasn't doing too much work, but there wasn't much to be done in the first place. He had the entire day to think about his problems, dreams and desires, which appealed to him, considering last night.

He couldn't believe he made love with Winry the previous night. He only read about it from some love books, the dirty kind, but he never imagined it would feel so good to actually be there. After last night he realized that a woman was ten times better than his left hand.

A woman? Yes, Winry was in fact a woman now, and even if he couldn't keep up, things were moving pretty fast between the two. He only wished things would slow down and they could stand still for a minute and look around. It was as if he was stuck on a train and he couldn't get down. Not that he regretted last night in_ any_ way.

"Sir?"

He woke up and almost fell off his chair when Lucy came in his desk with another couple of sheets and a cup of coffee.

"Lucy! Sorry, I was dozing off a bit," he laughed, "Something wrong?"

"Oh, the Fuhrer sent these for you. And I took the liberty to make you coffee. It's a long coffee without sugar or milk, is it okay?"

"My favorite, actually," he looked at her amazed, "Thanks, Lucy. Keep up the good work."

"As well, Sir,"

She closed the door and Ed started to read the papers Roy sent him. One of them was actually a short telegram.

_Fullmetal,_

_Tomorrow is the Military Academy Admissions and I want you and your careful eyes to observe the whole evaluation. It's not as hard as the State Qualification Exam, so don't complain about it. 11 AM, at the Academy. I also sent you a piece of paper necessary criteria for our new soldiers. Maybe I'll visit you tomorrow, so don't slack off. _

_Yours,_

_Fuhrer Roy Mustang, Your Eternal Superior and Idol_

"Hn," Ed snickered, "Someone's feeling arrogant today", and he browsed the criteria form quickly and memorized it quickly.

Age: 15

Physical strength: Good or higher

Weight: 65 kilograms

Height: 165 cm

- Must have a special skill or ability

- If under 18, must have parents' approval

- Must have completed 10 classes (graduated high school)

"Not much needed here. They're real meanies with the requirements. Damn, I was a twelve year old runt when I started out as a State Alchemist. A man shouldn't be judged by this useless stuff," Ed thought offended.

He left the papers he had just received on the desk and grabbed another one concerning the appearance of the city. A lot of citizens were complaining about the lack of flowers and trees in the city, so he decided to plant some and make Central a bit more beautiful than it already was.

Being high up in the Military wasn't as easy as Ed expected it to be. He had a lot of responsibilities, and despite having a large salary, he had a lot of work to do and wouldn't get home sooner than 7 or 8 PM.

"I wonder what Winry is doing," he thought.

* * *

The sky was filled by redness and warmth as the sun was setting, and Winry had just finished setting up her shop. She managed to have her tools and medical equipment sent from Reesembool via post. In the large room, she set up a working bench where she could build automail and separated the room using a screen to create a private space for the ICU. She converted the kitchen into an OR with all the necessary equipment and utensils. The place looked amazing and it pleased Winry. She couldn't wait to put out flyers and a large sign so that people can see the shop, "Rockbell Automail," she grinned.

Suddenly, a knock startled her and she rushed to open the door," Yes?"

A small girl stood in her doorstep accompanied by a boy about her age, "Hello. Are you Miss Elric?"

Winry blushed and shook her head, "N-No! My name is Winry Rockbell. Do you need something, Miss?"

The little girl laughed, "Sorry, I thought you two were married. My name is Alicia Pendleton and I'm a State Alchemist. I met your hus- I mean, _boyfriend_, yesterday when I took my exam and he said he could help Elijah with his arm,"

The boy stepped forward and showed Winry his arm. It was amputated from the elbow down and it had quite an ugly scar to add. She suspected an old infection scar as well.

"Hey Elijah, I'm Winry," she smiled and shook his hand, "Well then, if Ed sent you two here, how about you come in?"

She invited the two inside and pulled out some chairs for them at her front desk. She sat in her chair and grabbed a patient form, "So Elijah, when exactly did you lose your arm?"

"My family… we were in a train accident. It was winter and the tracks were frozen, so the whole bloody train slipped from the tracks and crashed into a mountain. My brothers and I were the sole survivors. Both our parents died and my brothers were severely injured. The youngest, Jonathan, is blind and my other brother, Michael, is paralyzed from the waist down. "

Winry's eyes barely held her tears, trying to be strong for the boy. It was remarkable how strong he was, how determined and mature for such a small boy, "I understand. This happened how many years ago?"

"Last year. When the doctor found me and brought me to the orphanage I was barely alive. I had a bad infection from not treating the arm right, and Jonathan was also in bad shape. He saved us both. And now I need to do something to repay my debt, and the first step would be starting over again. I also want to study medicine, so I need a trustful right arm,"

"I see. But medicine for someone with prosthetic limbs… you know you'll have to operate and handle a scalpel skillfully?"

"That why I want automail, not just a simple prosthetic arm," he said determined.

"The surgery's horrible. And the recovery will take about two years," Winry ran over the standard details of the procedure.

"I know," he answered, "I've been studying about different prosthetics since I lost my arm. And I think automail is the one for me,"

"How old are you, Elijah?"

"Fourteen," he answered, and she looked at him compassionately.

Winry sighed, "You're really stubborn, aren't you? Ok, I guess…It's not like I have a choice; Ed sent you here. One more thing though: it'll cost ya,"

Alicia smirked, "You of all people should know how much State Alchemists make,"

Winry grinned remembering all the expensive clothes, shoes and jewelry Ed and Al used to bring her from their travels just to stop her from killing the two with a wrench.

"How soon can you operate on me?"

"I need to hire a nurse because it's pretty difficult to do the surgery solo. Give me a phone number and I'll contact you as soon as possible,"

Alicia wrote her phone number and handed the paper to Winry, "Here's the phone number to our orphanage. I'm planning on moving out soon, but for the moment I live there. Call me soon, please,"

Winry nodded and escorted the two to the door, "I'll try to find a nurse tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find one tomorrow as well."

Alicia smiled and looked at Elijah, "Elijah, please go wait outside. I need to ask Miss Rockbell something,"

Elijah mumbled something and went out on the street.

"Miss Rockbell, I am so grateful. When Elijah came to the orphanage he was broken…A lifeless person trapped in such a young and strong body. He _needs_ his arm. His brothers…he's the eldest, he needs to take care of them…"

"You love him, don't you?"

"He's like a brother to me, Miss Rockbell. Of course I do."

"He'll have an arm again, Alicia. Don't you worry for a minute."

"Well then, see you. Oh, I almost forgot. Have boys his age handled the surgery well? I mean, I've never seen teens with automail,"

Winry smiled, "Really? I once operated on an 11-year old boy. He handled the surgery better than any grown man. So it comes down to one's character,"

* * *

**A/N : Hope you enjoyed it! It was pretty hard to write, especially the love scene. Do you think it happened too fast? Well, anyway, review and tell me what you think about this chapter ^_^ Till next timee!**


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